Method and apparatus for regulating the size and form of solder pellets



J1me 1952 w. c. STAMMER ET AL 2,601,642

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SIZE AND FORM OF SOLDER PELLETS Filed Feb. 7, 1950 MIIE|||FEIIFIIIMH IO l6 2| 5 Inventors: 1 William C. Stommer,

Calvin R. Breden 3* v77/WMW Attorneys Patented June 24, 1952 IN G THE PELLETS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGULAT- SIZE AND FORM OF SOLDER William C. Stammer, Glenview, and Calvin R.

Breden, La Grange, IlL, assignors to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application February 7, 1950, Serial No. 142,812

'7 Claims.

' The specification which follows relates to a novel method and apparatus for making solder pellets; Such pellets have found extensive use and are quite advantageous for soldering metal seams and junctures in narrow or restricted places Where it is difficult to control the application of limited amounts of molten solder or drop solder which is usually cut from wire solder and whose sharp edges and cylindrical shape make mechanical'feeds uncertain and rolling erratic. By providing solder in pellet form, the desired number and size of pellets required for the soldering operation can be taken and delivered to the place where the soldering is to be done. The pellets may be rolled or shaken into final position after which moderate heating of the metal parts will melt the pellets and cause them to flow directly into the seam. Small valves, fittings or closures are thus effectively assembled in the ends of metal containers.

In our co-pending application for Letters Patent on a Method and Apparatus of Forming Solder'Pellets, filed May 5, 1948, Serial Number 25,216, Patent No. 2,574,357 November 6, 1951, we have pointed out that the production of such solder pellets has, however, presented numerous difliculties. Forming them by casting is slow and expensive. Solder has never been made successfully in "pellet form or shot by dropping through a cooling medium such as air or water. While this method is satisfactory with lead and isothermal lead alloys in general, the presence of as' little as .01% of tin has been found to prevent the formation of round shot. In like manner, the presence of tin serves to reduce the surface tension of the moltenmass and to promote a wetting of the metal surface with which it comes in contact. These characteristics are well, described in the patent of Olin and Smith, dated April 5, 1938, No. 2,113,279, for a Process for the Manufacture of Shot.

In a word, in forming lead shot the preferred practice is to increase the hardness by the addi tion of a minor proportion of arsenic or antimony. The lead and its alloys used for shot have a relatively short range of congelation. This is materially above that of solder. On the contrary, it is a well-known fact that tin-lead solder alloys melt at materially lower temperatures than do the lead alloys used for lead shot. Consequently, the production of solder pellets must be carried out at much lower temperatures and solidification may occur over a wider range. One result of this is a tendency for the constituent ingredients of solder to crystallize separately and thus interfere with the formation of acceptable homogeneous pellets.

We have succeeded in forming satisfactory pellets of solders containing tin combined with other metals such as lead or silver, in a wide range of proportions. By pellets we referto spheroidal masses of generally uniform weight and capable of being handled in measured quantities and rolled or shaken into small crevices, such as metal seams or junctures preliminary to fusion. By our method, pellets are produced which are uniform in size, being within the allowed tolerances. This result is in part obtained by special precautions taken to prevent the wetting of contact surfaces by the molten drops during their formation.

The form is generally spheroidal and can permit their ready placement in the restricted area intended to be soldered. 1 I

It is characteristic of these pellets that the surface is clean and unoxidized and the component ingredients are not'segregated when congealed.

In our co-pending application above referred to, we have disclosed a method and apparatus for controlling the form and size of the molten drops of solder and the rate of congelationzto produce approximately homogeneous spheroidal pellets;

It is a purpose of the present invention to control the production and discharge of the drops of molten solder by an improved method.

It is a further object of the invention to provide novel means by which the method is carried out.

Specifically we have found that a delivery tube for the molten solder when constructed with a passageway with two zones, the subsequent one ofgreater diameter than its antecedent, will greatly facilitate the production of uniform drops and spheroidal form when congealed.

There is, therefore, the further object of our invention to cause the molten solder to discharge at a metered rate with minimum adherence to the passageway traversed.

Another and related object of the invention is to' provide an improved eduction tube for the discharge of the molten solder. This tube is of glass or similar ceramic material capable of withstanding the heat of the molten solder and formed intwo sections, the diameters of which increase from top to bottom. This material reduces the tendency of the solder to wet the walls of the tube. The progressively increasing inner diameter of the tube still further promotes the separation of the drop from the tube.

These and other purposes and advantages of Fig. 3 is an enlarged verticalpsection bf one of the discharge nozzles taken *on the"line- 3--"3 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a vertical axial cross-section ,otthe nozzle unit showing the improved ae'ductionztube."

The improved method is:carried outrbyzregulated fall of drops of molten solder from a melting pot into a cooling medium which maybe a liquid of the desired characteristics. We have shown such a melting pot 5 set in a mass-:of-insulating material 6 in a supporting shell 1. Electrical heating elements'B imbedded in thezinsulation 6 surround the pot 5 and-.raisezit to a 'tem- 'perature which will. maintain -.the-solder in the desired ,molten condition.

' The. bottom of the pot 5 .has'a series of plugs B whi'ch are screw-threaded vertically in the-bot- .tomrEach plug "has :a vertical passageway l comiectedbyalateral passageway H to. a vertical discharge passagewayzljz.*The'plugs are bored .laterallyin-iline with the passageways l l :to .produce enlarged bores [3. 'Each bore carries a screw-threaded: shank :I-4 of a needlevalve l-5. The :needlevalve -:l--registers--with the passageland -:can: beradjusted to ,meter the discharge fromthedatterprto: shutioiithe' flow ,of i

solder entirely to permit: renewal of thedischarge nipple.

2A threadedtnipple' lj-Bzisxfittedto theibase of each plug 9 and proiects-below'the latter. i-ally :thexnipple l:6= carries "an ;eduction tubei'l I. ::tube: :is cemented ;or :otherwise fastened in thermpple +6. :The :tube -l11 has;an ,upperwsec- .tion lziot 'glass .orpther: ceramic; material which is vresistant to the. temperatures to which it. is subjected. Pyrex E1355 is-an example of 'a: suitablennaterial.

section: It! "has -a-vertical central passageway IB through which the molten solder is dischargedzat a predetermined ratefrom the-needle valve 15.. Due to the nature-of theimaterial usedyrthe-wwallof-the passageway 1'9 isrnot wet" byxthei'molten solder and there is a minimum'of frictional resistanceor skin-effect.

The iitube-I'l :also has'a lower-section 2-!) into whichf'the passageway 19- leads. The; lower section 20 iszmaderof the-same materialas theupper section- ;l9. rHowe ver, itis provided with avertical 1 central -:passageway 11 which is. of larger diameter than the-passageway l 9.

Thesize-of the'lower passageway, is relatively larger than the upper passageway l9. Incase the wupper passageway hasa bore or diameter of 0.75 millimeters, the bore-.ofthe lowersection is preferably 1.10- millimeters. The ratio is thus approximatelyZ to --3. Such a ratio. has the desired eifect. of causing-the=dropsto form inthe tubecaway from-disturbing conditions ofair or gas. .The diameter v.of :the pellet asformed isapproximately 3.2-millimeters. Thusa function of the;increased-diameterof the lower passageway is'todetermine the sizeoi thepellet, roughly threetimes the diameterof the passageway. The molten-soldercollects in the lower tube .until its accumulating weightovercomes the surfacetension of the mass .and it drops from the end of the tube through a short space into the cooling medium where it congeals into a spheriodal form.

The subsequent congelation of the drops results in pellets which are more nearly spherical.

1 The :finalsolidification-occurs during-vasfree fall inaiquenching bath of cooling liquid.

This example illustrates the improved method -.of forming pellets of approximately spheroidal form and uniform size.

' Thexdevice"as designed is an important factor in attaining'itheseresults and is consequently a material partofthe' invention.

-While"1the; preferred form has been illustrated .:;and:-:described;1.the invention may be carried out ='with considerable.=latitude in materials and proportionswithhrthescope of the appended claims. What-weclaimis:

l. The method of regulating the production of solder-pellets by dropping molten solder freely in a continuous stream. of predetermined crosssection through a passageway havingamini-mum "wetting attraction for-uthe solder.".andmcausingxthe stream' to :widen to greater GIOSSrSfiGtiOH :at *a point above .its discharge.

2....fnpcombinationz a melting tpotpa. pluralityzaof discharge .plugsuinthe baseof:thenpotrandeduction: tubesinteachzlplug, saidztube.beingcformed of materialhaving a:minimum:ofawettingeattraction for .the :molten :s'older- 'andzformedcin twozsucce siv e. sections, :thex,;uppervsection lihavingqa chore through which the? falling ;solder :stream" will "be metered .andthe lower. section 'rbeing ofirelatively greater. boreraducingxther rate rof travel'z of the streamitherethrough.

3. In.combinationiazmelting;potyza "pluralitysof discharge plugs:inz:thev basez-'ofztheaipotnanseductiontube in 1each plug,'said' tube being :formedrdf material "having" a;minimum sot-wetting;iattractioirfor the. molterrssoldenand formed inztwo.=.-successive sections, the upperrsection havingzta here through which .thefzfalling solderizstream'awilli be metered. and the lower. sectionf heingsof relatively greater .borezand axiallyialigned :with: the :upper section.

I 1.4.1In combinationflasmelting: pot',:;a;a.plurality; of discharge: plugs 'in the'ibase'ro'f the potaaneductioni tube 1 in.xeach plugx'said tube'beingjormedsof materiali'having 1a; minimumxof-wetting-attraction for the: molten solder andrformed in two-successive sections the .zupper r section :having aarbore through which the .falling. soldertstreamfiwillrbe 4 meteredand the lower section having a relatively grcater' bore abruptly setback from thexedge or thebore in the upper section.

'5. A discharge plug forsdetachableiconnection with a' solder-melting pot; said :plug .havings a discharge nipple with' a central vertical'openlng, a sectional eduction tube fitted'in-the opening, the upper section of the tube" having' acentral bore, and the lowersection of the tube -having a relatively larger bore directly beneath the 'boreof the upper-section.

6; Adischarge plug for detachable connection with a solder-melting pot, saidplug having a discharge nipple with a central vertical'opening'a sectional ceramic eduction tube fitted in "the opening, the upper section of.the"tube.ihaving"-a centrallbore, andthe lo'wer section of the. tube having a relatively larger bore directly aligned beneath thebore of the uppersection.

-'7. A discharge. plugfor detachable connection with a solder-melting pot, .said-plug..-having a discharge nipple witha central-vertical opening, a sectional. eduction tube fitted "in theaopening,

the upper section of the tube having a central REFERENCES CITED bore and thelower Sectlon the P havmg The following references are of record in the a bore approxlmately half agaln as wlde as the file of this patent: b

m the up p Sectmn 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM C. STAMM'ER. Number Name Date CALVIN R. BREDEN. 1,637,377 I-Ieicke Aug. 2, 1927 1,834,687 Davis Dec. 1, 1931 

